Peter Galbraith, the second highest ranking official at the United Nations’ Mission to Afghanistan, was sacked today by the body following a public falling out with mission chief Kai Eide regarding last month’s fraudulent election in the nation.
Galbraith, a former US Ambassador, resigned from the US government following the 2003 invasion of Iraq and has penned multiple books critical of the war. He is also, some may be interested to know, the son of influential Keynesian economist John Kenneth Galbraith.
Galbraith’s falling out with Kai Eide occurred weeks ago, and he returned to the United States after getting into a shouting match with Eide over the later’s soft stance on the massive voter fraud in Afghanistan. Today’s official firing just formalized a move that was widely expected.
Eide has been very hesitant in endorsing investigations into what could be over a million fraudulent votes gained by President Hamid Karzai, and officials at the mission have said Afghans should forget about a recount and stop worrying about the legitimacy of their government. Galbraith has called for a full recount of the votes, which would have almost ensured a run-off vote between Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah.
It is being reported, however, that while Galbraith is gone his ideas linger on, and several other officials at the UN mission are now also complaining that the group has failed in its task to ensure a free and fair election in the nation.
The question has already been mooted however as far as the US and NATO are concerned, and several officials have said that no matter how much fraud the limited investigations reveal Karzai will remain in power for another five year term.
I like the statement no matter the fraud, the party appointed is to serve 5 more years. Might en it not have been said: unless the party elected were both a fraud and his election a fraud, the elected party might not be eligible to serve?